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Stress? Grumpy? Tired all the time?
You need a mental health diet.
For months, therapists have reported a significant increase in the number of clients who are anxious, worried, or depressed over current events – the Covid-19 pandemic, economic problems, civil unrest. And while they can teach coping skills, such as regulating emotions, to help manage stress, they say it’s also important for people to take proactive steps to be mentally healthy, like they would if they wanted to be in good physical shape. “If you’re waiting for a major stressor to strike to try and boost your mental health, it’s like trying to inflate your life raft when you’re already drowning at sea,” says Wendy Troxel, Clinical Psychologist and Senior Specialist behavior and social sciences at Rand Corp.
Many people turn to talk therapy, exercise, meditation, and healthy eating to do this. Shirlee Hoffman, a 75-year-old retired Chicago marketing consultant, limits her news consumption to about five minutes a day. Erin Wiley, 50, a licensed psychotherapist in Toledo, Ohio, uses an app to track the things she’s grateful for. Rhonda Steele, 62, a specialty teacher in Sellersburg, Ind., Prays and reads devotions. Dwight Oxley, 84, a retired doctor in Wichita, Kan., Reads and plays the piano. Rachel Glyn, 66, a retired esthetician from Philadelphia, tries to do as much as possible for others. Michael Schauch, 40, an investment portfolio manager in Squamish, BC, is climbing – he says the sight gives him perspective. Stedman Stevens, 62, CEO of an aviation technology company in Wilmington, NC, takes 15 minutes each afternoon to sit alone without distractions. “I listen to what my mind shows me,” he said. “It restores my mental strength.”
What steps should you include in your mental health regimen? Here are tips from the experts.
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